letters to the Editor - April 29, 2009

Wednesday

Apr 29, 2009 at 3:15 AM

Exclusion 'is just plain wrong'

To the editor: Hello. I support House Bills 436 and 415 because I believe in equal rights for everyone, regardless of sexual orientation. We are all individuals with our own opinions, ideals and aspirations, and I don't think that leaning toward one gender or another makes anyone more different or less deserving of respect.

House Bill 436 (HB436) gives gay and lesbian couples the same legal status of marriage as straight couples, while leaving the decisions about religious ceremonies up to individuals of the clergy. It's a matter of basic rights, in other words; I don't believe that the institution of marriage is going to fall apart, or even suffer a mild tremor, if two men or two women walk down the aisle.

House Bill 415 (HB415) "defines gender identity and expression and adds it to the list of classes of people protected from discrimination." In other words, if this bill passes, a person's gender preferences or sexual status would legally become a nonissue in their attempts to buy a house, get a job, receive proper medical care, etc. This won't make prejudice vanish overnight, but it is an important step in the right direction? Not only does it make it illegal to, for example, refuse to hire someone based solely on the fact that he or she is gay, it sends the message that excluding a person based on their sexual identity is just plain wrong.

Andrea Todd

Strafford

Support Obama's health plan

To the editor: I retired from the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and I fortunately have the benefit of a federal health insurance plan in addition to Medicare with lower premiums and better benefits.

Obama's public health insurance option would provide the same for all American and save Americans up to 30 percent on their insurance premiums by being more efficient. Insurance companies know that lower costs for us mean lower profits for them.

We need to support our new president in his effort to include all Americans in similar plans that our congressmen now enjoy

Paul Henry Sr.

Somersworth

Taking Leonard to task

To the editor: Mr. Scruton was 100 percent correct when he said Leonard's comments alleging Ortmann's personal bias were an unjustified attack. Fred Leonard should be embarrassed for making such an unjustified attack on Mr. Ortmann.

The Housing Partnership is a fine organization. Like Lisa Stanley stated, it's not the city's job to oversee construction.

Do your homework, Mr. Leonard. Like Mrs. Stanley told you, you should go talk with congressional authorities if you have a problem with how they are spending money.

David Beaudoin

Rochester

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